Out of Our Control
by BlackRoseDragonCK
Summary: One-shot, post-MGS4. It is only natural to feel fear in a situation that's out of your control. To be out of control is to be helpless. However, sometimes things work together for the greater good. Sometimes it's better that we don't control everything. Major Raiden/Rose story. Kinda fluffy. If you don't like that pairing you may not want to read.


**I DO NOT OWN METAL GEAR**

**Hello :D! First off, I want to give a quick message to ****101ghettogirl in case she didn't see the one on my profile :): Thanks so much for your lovely reviews :D! I don't currently have any inspiration for any Revolutionshipping one-shots; however, I am getting ready to post my YGO Avengers fic which will have Yami/Anzu in it. Thanks so much for reading my stories :D!  
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**Okay, so this fic takes place after MGS4. I've been getting a lot of requests to do a story that is solely RaidenXRose so that's what this is. If you do not like Rose, you probably don't want to read this haha :). Anyways, I hope you enjoy!**

**XXX**

Nacreous mist spread on for miles and miles, looking like smoke above the inky road. It wasn't of course. When there was smoke there was often fire and how could fire possibly thrive when it was raining with such intensity?

Raiden gripped the steering wheel of the silver Camry tightly. His pale blue eyes narrowed. The road was covered with a thin sheet of water, making it appear as glistening obsidian rather than asphalt. Rain pounded the windshield so hard that it was extremely difficult to see the crimson taillights of the car ahead of them.

But the civilian-bodied cyborg wasn't overly concerned. He'd fought his way through far worse situations with far less visibility than this. He just had to keep up his vigilance.

A mousy snore drew Raiden's attention to the car's rear-view mirror. In its reflection, he could see his five-year-old child in the backseat. Comfortable in a loose T-shirt and sweat pants, John was comatose in his car seat. His ice blonde hair, an exact copy of his father's, was slightly mussed from turning his head back and forth. He clutched a Transformers figure in his small hands, looking innocent and peaceful, even in sleep.

A smile played on Raiden's pale features. Affection filled his mechanically cold core with a warmth that had gradually become familiar to him in his new life. Normally he wasn't a major fan of change…but this one, he could get used to. Of course, John was not the only instigator of this modification.

Running a hand through his shaggy locks, the soldier glanced sideways at the passenger's side. Dressed in light jeans, a scarlet shirt with three-quarter-length sleeves, and black sandals, Rosemary occupied the seat. She was a beautiful woman with black coffee hair, sienna eyes, and milky skin. Right now, however, her pretty face looked a bit whiter than usual.

Raiden studied his wife out of his peripheral vision, frowning slightly. She was clutching the handle on the roof of the vehicle with one hand. Her other hand was curled into a white-knuckled fist on her lap. Her jaw was tightly clenched and her eyes stared straight ahead, barely remembering to blink.

_"What's up…?"_ the cyborg wondered.

Acting on a hunch, he reached over to cover her fist with his hand. She jerked at the sudden contact. Her head whipped around to regard him with wide eyes. Hunch turning to realization, Raiden felt his expression soften.

There weren't many things that sent Rose into pure, unbridled terror. After all, she had worked as a psychological counselor for Snake during the Outer Haven incident. She had witnessed many terrible things during that mission, none of which caused her to lose her cool. She was able to stay level-headed in most situations. Unfortunately, driving in torrential rain was not one of them.

Rose looked at him the way Sunny Gurlukovich had when he had come to take her from the Patriots—the way Emma Emmerich had when he'd told her she would have to brave the water. It was a look of fear tinged with desperation for reassurance. "Vulnerable" was perhaps the best word to describe it.

Recalling the approach he'd taken in past experiences, the fair-haired man squeezed her hand. "It's gonna be okay," he told her. "I promise I'll get us there safely."

The woman was still for a few moments. Then, she nodded and gave a distracted smile. "Sorry…I've never been a fan of driving in bad weather, especially for long distances."

"Yeah, I'm not crazy about it either," her husband responded.

It was really just one of those automatic responses people gave to certain comments. He had faced so many horrors, so many things that would have destroyed the average man, that it took a lot to make him nervous now. Nerves of steel or no nerves of steel, however, he knew that he needed to concentrate on the task at hand to avoid having an accident. He found it difficult to do so knowing that his wife was so on-edge.

Leaning forward slightly, Raiden made a quick evaluation of the sky ahead of them. A nasty line of gunmetal clouds stretched on for miles. There did seem to be a clear area in the distance, but it would take awhile for it to arrive. In the meantime, it would be as if he were driving a car up-river.

Raiden made a quick decision and pulled off the road. He headed up a sloped driveway to a nice-looking rest station. It was a building made of red brick, surrounded by neatly-trimmed grass, trees, and clean cement areas for sitting. All colors composing the place were vibrant due to their thorough washing.

Rose looked at him questioningly. With a sidelong smile, the warrior explained, "I thought we'd take a break here." He glanced back at John, adding, "I think we're all in need of a quick rest stop."

The brunette scrutinized him with her intelligent eyes for several moments. It was clear that she suspected he had other reasons for pulling over, but she did not comment on it. Instead, she unbuckled her seatbelt. Raiden noticed that her hands were shaking slightly. She started to reach back toward John, but her husband stopped her.

"I'll handle him." He pointed off to a roofed area stocked with a row of park benches. "I'll meet you up there in a minute."

Rose looked too weary to argue. She just gave a tired smile, murmured "Okay," and got out of the car. She didn't even take an umbrella, choosing instead to dash through the rain.

Raiden watched her for a moment before reaching back to John. He tugged lightly at one of the boy's Power Ranger Velcro sneakers. "Hey John…."

The child did not open his eyes. However, he shifted slightly and made a soft humming sound. His father chuckled lightly.

"Your mom and I are gonna get out and stretch a little," he explained. "You wanna come?"

John made a noise halfway between a sigh and a moan. He shook his head and snuggled more deeply into his padded car seat. Smiling, Raiden ran a hand over his son's hair. He could feel its prickly texture through his civilian frame's touch sensors. He then pulled the keys from the ignition, got out, and locked John safely in the car. Quickly he moved through the rain toward the place where his wife was waiting.

Sheltered by the eating area's roofing system, Rose was seated on one of the wooden benches. Her back was to her husband. He saw her hands moving up and down her arms to stave off the storm-induced chill.

Approaching from behind, Raiden placed his hands on her shoulders. Her muscles were so taut that they felt like wire. Rose jumped lightly, regarding him with wide eyes. Raiden chuckled.

"Geez, you need to relax a bit," he teased as he sat down next to her. "I know I'm not the best driver in the world, but c'mon…"

The warrior passed an arm around her shoulders. His wife leaned into him. He felt her tension beginning to subside. They sat in silence for several long minutes. Rain continued to pound the earth, surrounding them but not once splashing their skin. It was as if they were sitting in the eye of a hurricane.

Eventually, Rose said, "I take it John didn't want to exit dream-land yet?"

Raiden nodded. "Yeah, I offered to let him come. He sounded like he was half-zombie when he said no."

Rose giggled softly, leaning back into his arm. She turned her head so that she could look up at him. Her earth-hued eyes scanned his face.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Huh?" the cyborg shot her a surprised look. "What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Jack, I'm a counselor, remember?" she retorted. "We could have just as easily sat in the car if all you wanted to do was take a break. But you wanted the two of us to talk in private—something we couldn't do with John listening."

He surveyed her face, firm with determination. Then he smirked and shook his head. No matter how much training he had in sneaking missions and the ways of the ninja, he couldn't pull one over on his wife. She had always been able to read him better than anyone else could. It was one of the things that had brought them together.

Raiden stared up at the bleak sky. He chose his words carefully. "It's just…you know that I cherish you and John more than anything, right? That I would do anything to protect you?"

The brunette looked perplexed. "Of course. What makes you think I don't?"

"Well…" his glacier blue eyes flicked downward as a rush of painful memories flooded back to haunt him. "…we haven't exactly had the easiest life together."

It was true. For awhile, there had been nothing but secrecy between the two of them. Then, the soldier's scarred mind did a real number on his behavior. They had been estranged for years. Only after he got control of himself again were they able to get back together.

Rose seemed to consider this, searching his face. Apparently reaching a conclusion, she turned to face him more fully.

"I won't lie anymore, Jack," she told him in a serious tone. "I was afraid of you for a long time."

Raiden gave a mirthless chuckle. "And I won't lie by saying you had no reason to be."

"But I'm not anymore. I've always known deep down that you were a good man. I love you the way you are and I trust you."

Smiling, she placed a hand on his cheek. Raiden met her eyes and saw that she didn't seem to mind the seams on his face. He appreciated that. But…

"So why were you so freaked out when I was driving in the rain?" he asked. "You know I can handle it…"

The woman's eyes widened ever-so-slightly. Clearly, he had struck a nerve. She let her touch fall from his face. She stared down at her hands, folded upon her lap.

"I guess it's because it's something beyond my control…" she finally responded with a sigh. "I don't like feeling powerless. I hated watching you come face-to-face with death at Big Shell while I was locked in that tiny computer room. It was torture watching you suffer from PTSD and knowing I couldn't do anything about it. There've been so many times when I've thought you were gone and…" she took a shaky breath. "…every time I get you back I get greedier for your safety. I know it's silly, but—"

"Rose…" Raiden interrupted, placing a finger to her lips. "There are always going to be things you can't control. That's just life. I mean, think about how I feel when you have to drive long distances without me or when John goes to school." He smirked, adding, "Found out the hard way that HF blades are banned in Kindergarten…"

Rose laughed as her husband pulled her closer to him. "All that matters is that, when we do have power over our surroundings, we use it to take care of each other." He leaned his forehead against hers. "You did your best to keep me safe over the Codec at Big Shell. This time, it's my turn to protect you."

The woman's lashes fluttered as she gazed at him. Her eyes were chocolaty pieces of amber, inches away from his pallid sapphire ones. She smiled.

"I guess you're right."

"I am right."

She giggled again…and Raiden was suddenly tempted to do something he had not dared attempt since their reunion. He hadn't been entirely sure it would work since things were not the same as they had been when they were younger. But now…now seemed a perfect time to attempt ambitious things.

Sliding his hands up her neck, the soldier cupped his wife's face between his hands. She looked up at him with-half-lidded eyes. He kept his forehead against hers. His mechanical heart thudded and his thumbs stroked gently over her cheeks. This was it—it was now or never. Taking a deep breath, he pressed his lips against hers.

The feeling was naturally diverse from that he had relished as a human. Only his upper lip was organic…but that was far enough. He could feel the warmth and softness as Rose kissed him back. She slid her hands around his shoulders. His stroked her silky hair. The magic of the moment seemed to last for an eternity…

Rose had to pull away first since her ability to go without oxygen was far less than his. Her eyes were sparkling. She beamed and leaned her head against his shoulder. Leaning his cheek against her hair, Raiden gazed out at the park again. Only then did he realize that the rain had stopped.

"Maybe it's good that some things are out of our control…" Rose laughed softly. "If it weren't for that rainstorm, we wouldn't have stopped here."

"Yeah…" the cyborg responded quietly…though his mind was racing.

_"That's true…"_ he realized to himself. _"If it were up to me, back then I wouldn't have started a family. I wouldn't have ended up with you or John…and I wouldn't be nearly as happy as I am now."_

Raiden pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "I guess everything happens for a reason."

**XXX**

**This was also kind of a stress relief thing for me because I HATE driving in the rain lol. I hope you liked and please review :D! Please no flames.**

**I DO NOT OWN METAL GEAR (OR TRANSFORMERS, CAMRY, OR POWER RANGERS)**


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